Hair curler



E. F. LEDBETTER 2,608,195

Aug. 26, 1952 HAIR CURLER 2 Sl-lEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1946 INVENTOR. [GI/57 [[05:774-2 1% Arr g- 26, 1952 E. F. LEDBETTER 2,608,195

HAIR CURLER Filed Sept. 16, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Aug. 26, 1952 r 1.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE- HAIR CURLER Ernest F. Ledbetter, Chicago, llll. Application September 16, 1946, Serial No. 697,353 6Claims. ((1132-34 This invention relates to hair curlers and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and efficient means for operating and controlling the rotation of the curling tongs in a selected direction.

A further object of this invention is the pro duction of a simple and efficient means for facilie tating the opening and closing of. the curling tongs.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient haircurler wherein the curler may be easily held in one, hand and operated and controlled by the fingers of one hand of an operator, the controlling elements being conveniently located to facilitate such operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of looking at one side thereof.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, certain parts being shown in perspective and showing the opposite side of the curler.

, Figure 3 isa horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

, Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of the actuating gear, ratchet and operating rack and power lever.

I Figure 6' is a longitudinal sectional view through the curling tong actuating mechanism.

. Figure 7 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention illustrating an electrical driving means for thecurling element operating gear.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the housing, the collar portion being shown in section and the latch for holding the clutch operating mechanism being shown inposition.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that It designates the base which carries a standard l I over which a sleeve I2 fits. This sleeve is preferably provided with a flared base I3 which overlies the base iii. A housing I4 is carried by the standard H and sleeve i2. A closure cap I5 is carried by the rear end of the housing 14. The

the hair curler housing I4 is provided with a front plate 16 which is secured to the housing M by means of screws or other suitable means It. A forwardly extending collar I1 is carried by the plate l6 and encases the inner end of thecurling element, ortongs It. The inner end of the tongs or curling element is journaled on the plate I6 I rotate.

A transverse actuating shaft 20 is supported upon the upright frame 2| within the housing 14 and carries at opposite ends beveled gears 22 and 23, which gears are fixed tothe shaft 20. This shaft 23 supports a driving gear 24 intermediate the ends thereof and this gear is loosely mounted upon the shaft 20 to freely rotate thereon. A ratchet wheel 25 is keyed to the shaft 26 to rotate with the shaft and a spring-pressed pawl, of the conventional type is carried by the drivin gear 24 in a ratchet-engaging position shown in Figure 5 to rotate the ratchet 25 and shaft 20 when the gear 24 is rotated in one direction, while at the same time permitting the gear to rotate in the opposite direction without turn ing the ratchet wheel 25 and shaft 20. 1

An actuating rack bar 21 is slidably mounted longitudinally through the guiding block 28 at the bottom of the horizontally-extending housin M, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and engages the drive gear 2% to rotate the shaft through the pawl 26 and ratchet wheel 25 as the rack bar 2? moves inwardly. As the rack bar 21 returns to its forward position, the pawl 26 will slide over the ratchet wheel 25 and the wheel 24 may freely rotate to permit the forward return of the rack bar 2'! without rotating the shaft 20.

A hand-operated lever 29 is pivoted, as at 30, to the lower end of the standard l l and engages the slotted depending finger 3! carried by the forward end of the rack bar 21. A spring '32 is also secured at one end near the lower end of the standard H, and the opposite end of the spring 32 fits in the guide 34 of the lever 29 to return the lever 29 to its forward positionwhen it is released, it should be understood that the rack bar 2'! is moved inwardly by the operator who holds the device in his hand, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and extends his fingers around the lever 29. By squeezin the lever 29 the rack bar 2'! will be forced rearwardly, therespring 33 will return the lever 29 and rack bar 21 to its forward position.

The shaft 20, is slidably mounted through its support 2|, and is shiftable longitudinallyto permit the. gears 22 and 23 to be selectively moved 3 into and out of engagement with the bevelled gear 19 at opposite sides thereof to control the direction of rotation of the curling element l8, which is secured to the gear IS. A clutch operating lever 35 is pivoted within the housing M to a horizontal shaft located in the bottom of the housing [4. This shaft 36 carries a clutch arm 37 at the opposite end thereof, which clutch arm 31 engages the clutch collar 38 of the gear 22. A finger-piece 38 is secured to the. operating lever 35 and is located outside of the housing II where it may be engaged by the thumb or finger of an operator to swing the lever 35 and the clutch arm 31 to shift the shaft 20 and gears- 22 and 23 laterally. By swinging the operating lever upwardly, the gear 22 MIL bev moved to a position to mesh with the gear l8 and. move the gear 23 to a disengaging position. By swinging the lever 35 downwardly, the gear raw-111. be.

moved to a meshing position with the gear l9 and the gear 22 will be moved. to. av disengaging position. A springepressed. latch. 40 is carried by theplate It and engages the. finger-piece. 39 to holdthe clutchina, set position.

A curling tong control sleeve 4| is slidably mounted within the collar l7. This sleeveis provided.with;aniinturned flange 42 which engages an actuating spring. finger. 43. of the. pivoted spring-pressedjaw IA of the curling, element or tong |8,. to. openthe tongs... As the sleeve 4|. is movedinwardly-V the spring. finger. 43 will. auto.- maticallyopen .the'j aw- I.8P.. An. operating, trigger yoke 44 is. pivoted to a bracket 45' carried by collar IL This trigger yoke 44 is. connected to thesleeve, 41-. by. means, of. screws 46 which pass through, slots- 41. formed. in the collar IT. The yoke 44 isprovidedl with aldepending fingerengaging. portion. 48 which. extends. below the housing. I41 toa. position where it may be. easily reachedlfon operation by a finger of the operator. The sleeve 41 may be shifted rearwardly by means 01 the. trigger yoke 44 to open the tongs l8 and asuitable spring, 44* is preferably provided to return the yoke to its normalpositionto close the tongs, the spring 43" of the tongs. or curling element assisting in this operation.

From. the foregoing. description it should be notedthat the instrument is held in one hand of. the. operator and by squeezing the lever 29:, the. rack bar. 2]" will be. forced. inwardly to. rotate the gear [.9 and the curling: element I8; the direction of "rotation. being controlled by shifting the gears 22 and 23 selectively into mesh. with the gear I9" byoperating the fingerpiece 39' and clutch; arm 31. When the lever 28" is released the Darts will return to their; normal position, the gear- 24 being loosely mounted, permitting this operation: The j'am- Ill -of the tongs l8 may beopenedby pressing'the finger upon the fingerengaging portion 48 of the yoke 44; All parts are so l'oc'at'ed asto-perm-it the device-tobeheld in one hand and operated and also to conveniently' control the direction of rotation of the curlingel'ement-aswell as the opening oi the curling element: bythe fingers of the hand holding the device;

In the form shown in Figure 7, the housing l4" carriesa. transverse shaft" 50 upon which a motoril'ismounted for driving the same. Shiitablegcars 52 and 53 controlled by a clutch shifting means 54 are also carried by theshaft 50. m clutch lever 56. engages the clutch shifting means 54 and is pivoted, as at 56; to the casing I34; Thelever r'may extend downwardly of the: housing: i49 where: it may be conveniently operated by the fingers oiianoperator; switch 51 is conveniently located relative to the lever 55 upon the housing l4 to turn the motor 5| on and off. The remaining portions of the device are constructed as illustrated and described relative to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, The only difference in this form shown in Figure 7 over the form shown in Figures 1 to 6 is the electrical driving means and associated parts.

It should be understood that certain changes in detail construction. may be made without departing from the spirit' or the invention so long as these changes fall within the scope of the claims hereto attached. It should be further understood that although I have disclosed a novel operating means mechanically operated, the electricaL on motor driven operating means may be used without. departing from the spirit of the invention;

Itshould be further understood that the tongs l8 may be electrically or otherwise heated in the conventional manner, without departing fromthe spiritof the invention.

What is cl'aimed'is:

1'. A hair curler. of'the ciass described comprising a housing, a substantially right angularl'y extending standard supporting said housing and constituting a hand-grip, an opening and closing curling element carried by said housing and" protruding beyond the housing at substantially right angles to the hand-grin. a driving. mechanism within said housingifor: driving said curling element; a finger engaging actuatingleverextending longitudinally of said hand-grip and" operably connected to: the driving mechanism for: driving said mechanism, and. said' actuating lever being pivoted to thestandard and being-movable toward thestandardby a squeezing action or the'hand of an operator:

2; A hair curler' of the class described comprising a housing, a substantially right-an mlarly extending standard supporting: said housing andconstitutinga hand=grip,,an opening and closing curling element carried by said housing and protruding beyond thehousing at substantially right angles to the hand-grip, a, driving mechanism within said housing for driving said curling element; a finger engaging, actuating lever extending longitudinally'oi saidi hand-grip and'opera'blyconnected to the driving mechanism for driving said mechanism, said actuating lever being pivoted toth'e standard and beingmovable toward the standard by a: squeezing action onthe hand of an. operator, and a fiat'supporti'nggbase for said standard forsupporting, said standardin an-upright' position and'thereby holding the curling element, out of contact with other objects when said. base is placed upon a support.

3. A hair curler oi" the class described. comprisingahousing; a substantially right-angularly extending; standard supporting said housing-andconstitutings: handsgrip, an opening and closing. curling element" carri'edby said; housing and" protruding beyond the housing at substan.- tially right" angles to the. hand-.-grip, a driving mechanism within said housing for driving, said curling element. said. curling, element having, an angularly, extending actuating fi'ngen, a. sleeve carried by, said. housing and. movable longitudi nally. relative to thewurlinmelament and, having means engaging. saidafingen for: automatically n sa d curling elemeim as said sleeve; is moved. in. onedirection relative: to the curling e nt; a t er-pivoted to: said housing and connected to said sleev eridr moving 'said sleeve na ly mime to; said: curling element,

and said trigger being located adjacent said standard and away from the curling element to protect the hand of an operator from accidentally contacting the curling element should the curling element be heated.

4. A hair curler of the class described comprising a housing, a substantially right-angularly extending standard supporting said housing and constituting a hand-grip, an opening and closing curling element carried by said housing and protruding beyond the housing at substantially right angles to the hand-grip, a driving mechanism within said housing for driving said curling element, said curling element having an angularly extending actuating finger, a slidable sleeve carried by said housing and movable longitudinally relative to the curling element and having means engaging said finger for automatically opening said curling element as said sleeve is moved in one direction relative to the curling element, a trigger pivoted to said housing and connected to said sleeve for moving said longitudinally relative to said curling element, and said sleeve trigger being located adjacent said standard and away from the curling element to protect the hand of an operator from accidentally contacting the curling element should the curling element be heated.

5. A hair curler of the class described comprising a housing, a driving mechanism, a curling element driven by said driving mechanism, a standard extending at substantially right angles to the housing and constituting a hand-grip, a hand operated lever pivoted to said standard, a reciprocating rack bar slidable longitudinally of the housing for actuating said driving mechanism, a slotted depending finger carried by the rack bar and slidably engaging said lever, and said lever being adapted to actuate said rack bar as said lever is swung relative to the standard by a squeezing action of the hand of an operator.

6. A hair curler of the class described comprising a housing, a driving mechanism, a curling element driven by said driving mechanism, a standard extending at substantially right angles to the housing and constituting a handgrip, a hand operated lever pivoted to said standard, a reciprocating rack bar slidable longitudinally of the housing for actuating said driving mechanism, a slotted depending finger carried by the rack bar and slidably engaging said lever,

said lever being adapted to actuate said rack bar as said lever is swung in one direction relative to the standard by a squeezing action of the hand of an operator, and a spring return for said lever.

ERNEST F. LEDBETTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 372,317 Knowles 1- Nov. 1, 1887 510,218 Ward Dec. 5, 1893 688,192 Myette Dec. 3, 1901 1,589,117 Cotter June 15, 1926 1,759,265 Kunin May 20, 1930 1,857,689 Melkman May 10, 1932 2,158,800 Leland May 16, 1939 

